The Return of Christ: Hope and Judgment

It seems that there’s been an obsession with the end times these days. The History Channel has been airing documentaries on Nostradamus and the Mayan 2012“prophecies,” as if they were true. According to them, or at least how it’s represented on the History Channel things will get worse until the apocalypse dawns and the end of the world occurs. A rather hopeless turn of events, isn’t it?

Yet, as Christians, we have a greater hope: the return of Christ. In fact, Paul refers to it as “…our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) Throughout the New Testament, we see and can almost feel the anticipation of the return of Christ. In fact, the angels told the disciples after Jesus ascended to heaven: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)

Jesus Himself promised his return. John 14 was one of the favorite passages of Scripture of my late grandmother, part of which states: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3) We also read the so-called “Mount Olivet discourse” recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21:7-28. Clearly, there will be signs such as apostasy, famines, earthquakes, and wickedness. Yet, as Jesus said: “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man….and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:31)

As I said, as Christians, we have clear hope in Christ’s return. I’m not sure if you’ve had someone who trusted in Christ alone for salvation die. For me, I’ve lost my father and beloved grandfather, both of whom were saved. Now, Paul writes in a letter to the Church in Corinth, and states that: “we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2nd Corinthians 5:8)

The point I’m trying to get at is that another hope that we have is, not only the resurrection of the bodies of the dead believers and their reuniting with their souls, btu also the reunion of those believers on earth at Christ’s return, with those who died in Christ. As Paul writes: “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (2nd Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Even, this hope was seen in the Old Testament, such as what was written in the prophet Zechariah: “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” (Zechariah 14:4-5)

And, of course, after Jesus returns, believers will enjoy an eternal paradise. I personally believe that there will be a literal Millenial Kingdom prior to the creation of the new heavens and new earth, something that I would differ with most Reformed Christians on. But, that being said, it will be a wonderful state, where Christ will reign physically on earth, both during the Millenial Kingdom, and on the new earth.

Isaiah notes: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:11) He writes: "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 66:22-23) Peter refers to the new earth as a place “in which righteousness dwells.” (2nd Peter 3:13) And, of course, chapters 21 and 22 from the Book of Revelation regarding the new creation that God will unfold for His people probably don’t even need mentioning.

Now, that being said, there are some of the Emergent “Christians,” who claim that God will just “restore” creation to it’s original, pre-fall state. In a sense, that’s true. However, that being said, a lot of the Emergents try to downplay, or outright ignore Christ’s judgment of the non-believers. Emergent guru Brian McLaren even referred to the Jesus who will come back & destroy the wicked, as a “jihadist Jesus.”

Yet, John notes in Revelation that: “Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?’” (Rev. 6:15-17)

John goes on to say, and I think that this is particularly where people like Brian McLaren run into trouble: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, ‘Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.’ And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” (Rev. 19:11-21)

Similarly, Zechariah prophesied: “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city….And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other.” (Zechariah 14:2-4 & 12-13)

So, while those who are redeemed by Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, will enjoy an eternal joy focused around Him, those who are unbelievers will be judged, as indicated in Revelation 20:11-15, and will be cast into the lake of fire. Plus, prior to God’s creation of a new heaven and new earth, God will destroy the old ones. Peter writes of scoffers: “they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly….But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." (2nd Peter 3:5 & 6, 10)

As beautiful as the new heavens and new earth will be, only those whose names are written in the “Book of Life” will be allowed to partake in it. It is only when we call upon the name of Christ are we made righteous and Holy in God’s sight, when Christ’s righteousness is transferred to us. NONE of us deserve the promises God has made for His people, as we are at eminity with Him until we trust in His Son, who took upon the wrath the Father on behalf of those who will be saved.